Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 237 AM EDT Thu Aug 3 2017 Valid 12Z Thu Aug 3 2017 - 12Z Sat Aug 5 2017 ...Heat for the western U.S. and cooler temperatures for the northern Plains and Upper Midwest... A major heat wave will be making weather headlines through the end of the week for much of the Intermountain West and extending into the Pacific Northwest. An impressive upper level ridge situated over the West Coast will result in many locations setting record high temperatures, and some sites coming close to all-time record highs! Triple digit temperatures will be common from Washington state to California away from the immediate coastal areas on Thursday, and overnight lows will also be warmer than normal. Therefore, excessive heat warnings and heat advisories are in effect for these areas. It will be a different story for the central and northern Plains with a strong cold front passing through the region by the end of the week. A high quality airmass from Canada will settle southward and result in daytime highs in the 70s and lower 80s for Kansas and points northward along with comfortable humidity levels to close out the week. It will be even cooler across parts of Minnesota and the Great Lakes region with increased cloud cover from the frontal boundary to the south on Thursday. Ahead of this frontal boundary, showers and thunderstorms will be likely from the central Plains to the Midwest and Ohio Valley. Some strong to severe storms along with localized areas of heavy rainfall will be possible. These storms should be most concentrated in the warm sector of a developing surface low over Iowa and southern Wisconsin that is forecast to track northeastward across the Great Lakes region Thursday night and into Friday. This front should reach the East Coast by Saturday. The southwestern U.S. will continue to see monsoonal moisture streaming in over the next few days, fueling scattered afternoon and evening showers and storms. Areas from southern California through New Mexico could see heavy rain and the possibility of flash flooding with these thunderstorms. Ample moisture along the Gulf Coast will lead to showers and thunderstorms in that area over the next few days as well. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php